Time-alarm for culinary purposes



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. E. GROVES.

TIME ALARM FOR CULINARY PURPOSES.

No. 446,226. Patented Feb. 10,1891.

2 Sheets-Sl1eet 2.

(No Model.)

W. E. GROVES. TIME ALARM FOR CULINARY PURPOSES. o. 446,226.

Patented Feb. 10,1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM EUGENE GROVES, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TIME-ALARM FOR CULINARY PURPOSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 446,226, dated February 10, 1891.

Application filed December 3, 1889. Serial No. 332 413. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ILLIAM EUGENE GROVES, of Boston, in the county of Suifolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Oulinary-Alarms, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide, especially for cooks and those in like occupations, an alarm mechanism adapted to be set for operation in a very brief period after being started-ms, for instance, in boiling eggs or cooking other articles requiring attention in from one to ten minutes.

The novel feature of this apparatus consists in the setting, starting, and stopping devices by which the interval preceding the alarm is fixed, and the automatic stopping of the action after the alarm has sounded retains the tension of the driving-sprin g for use for succeeding alarms indefinitely. The setting is preferably such that the alarm will always sound when the hand or pointer reaches the vertical position representing twelve in an ordinary clock, and the length of the interval is determined by the number Of points representingminutes over which the hand is caused to travel. The hand is exposed at the front, and is capable of being turned to the desired extent by the operator using it as a lever, or moving it by means of a knob on its spindle. The alarm is wound by a proj ecting knob or lever attached to the rotating shaft of the alarmspring, and when the alarm sounds this lever advances, carrying forward a slide into elastic contact with the periphery of the balance-wheel, on which it acts as a brake or stop, arresting the movement of the mechanism and preventing the spring from running downuntil the apparatus is again to be used. One winding of the mainspring will therefore suffice to actuate the mechanism for an indefinite period, and each winding of the alarm starts the clock-work, the movement of which stops when the alarm sounds.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is ai'rout viewof the device, part being broken away to illustrate the action of the stop. Fig. 2 is a top plan, and Fig. 3 a detail. Figs. t and 5 are front and rear views, parts being broken away to illustrate more fully the internal arrangement of parts. Fig. (3 is a detail of the alarm mechanism.

A represents the cylindrical case, and B the dial, numbered in reverse order from 1 to 12, the figures showing the number of minutes required for the hand O to travel from each to the point O, when the alarm will sound, the ham merD being caused by suitable means to strike one or more blows upon the bell E everytime the hand reaches that point. This prevents the necessity of any indicator denoting the position of the alarm or any knob or device for adjusting it.

Instead of setting the alarm in the usual way from the back by turning its shaft, I turn the hand O to the figure denoting the number of minutes desired to elapse before the alarm sounds, and the driving-spring S carries the hand forward to the fiXGCl sounding-point O, the gearing being so speeded in the instrument herein shown as to cause the hand to traverse one-third of the face of the dial in four minutes. This very considerable movement in a brief space of time affords an opportunity of setting the device so as to give an alarm in a fraction of a minute, which has not been practically attainable heretofore. The hammer D is caused to strike the alarm by means of the usual coiled spring K, Fig. 5, to which tension is given by rotating its shaft. Sufficient tension for one alarm is given bya partial rotation, which I effect either by a knob on the end of such shaft, or, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, by the lever G, projecting from it through a slot in the case A, which permits its vibration. This lever also passes through or is otherwise connected loosely with aslide H, which extends to the balance-wheel 1, against which its free end bears with a yielding pressure, or from which it is withdrawn by vibration ofthe leverG. In Figs. 4 and 5 the lever G does notitself protrude, but runs between two pins L on the body of the slide H, and is thereby loosely connected to said slide. The protruding part is the knob G, which passes inwardly through a slot in the case and is secured to the slide. Now when the hand 0 has been set at the point denoting the number of minutes which should elapse The alarm mechanism used with my imbefore an alarm, and it is desired to start the device, the lever Gor knob G is drawn back to the position shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1, 4, and 5, which movement partially winds the alarm-sprin g by partially rotating its shaft in Fig. 1, carrying the slide H forward until its elasticlaterally-bent tip again touches and stops the balance-wheel I and the mechanism thereto connected.

proved slide is of suitable form, and may be briefly described with special reference to Figs. 4, 5, and 6. The shaft which carries the hand 0 isgeared to a pinion P, revolving loosely round a fixed stud havingatransverse pin Q. The pinion P has on its side an inclined cam with an abrupt termination. A spring-strip R beneath said pinion keeps the cam-face pressed against the pin Q, and is held down by the thick part of the cam coming between it and said pin. \Vhile so held down the tip of this spring engages the hammer-arm, as in Fig. 6, and retains the tension of the alarm-spring K, imparted by moving the slide H by knob G or lever G. When the hand 0 reaches the. vertical position or alarm-point, the abrupt shoulder of the cam has reached the pin Q, allowing the springstrip R to rise and release the hammer and the shaft F of spring K to make a partial rotation, sounding the alarm and moving the lever G, knob G, and slide 11 forward to the full-line positions.

I- claim as my in,vention- 1. An alarm mechanism provided with a stop, brake, or slide adapted to engage automatically with the periphery of the balancewheel to stopits movement when the alarm has sounded and to be moved in a tangent therefrom by the operator, the latter movement serving to release and startthe balancewheel and to impart tension to the alarmspring, substantially as set forth.

2. The case A, with a suitably-actuated train of gearing, the indicator-hand O, alarm devices D E, and alarm-spring K, in combination with the curved slide H, connected to a lever protruding through the case, whereby the slide may be disengaged from the periphcry of the balance-wheel by the operator and engaged therewith by the action of the alarm spring, substantially as set forth.

3. In an alarm device, the hand or indicator adapted to be rotated by the operator in setting and to be carried forward by the driving-spring,in combination with an alarm device having one unvaryingsounding-point, and with gearing adapted to speed the movement of the hand toward said point, substantially as set forth. 7 In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses, on this th day of November, A. D. 1889.

\VILLIAM EUGENE GROVES.

Witnesses:

A. H. SPENCER, ERNEST L. MORANDI. 

